Closing date - 4 June 2026
Interview dates - wc 15 June
Salary - £43,284.72 per annum
Please feel free to contact us at recruitment@factoryinternational.org if you require any support in completing your application
Head of Scenic and Gallery Installations Job Pack - download here
The Head of Scenic and Gallery Installations helps artists and creatives from all artforms stretch the realms of possibility, creating works of ambition and scale at Aviva Studios and beyond.
The Head of Scenic and Gallery Installations will work with and support other technical teams and wider Factory International teams to ensure that all our spaces, events and shows are delivered to an exceptional standard and are accessible to everyone across all artforms; visual and performing arts, live music, theatre, exhibitions, corporate events and beyond.
The key responsibilities for the Head of Scenic and Gallery Installations include;
- Lead the Scenic and Gallery Installations team
- Line Manage all Core, (including FTC) members of the Scenic and Gallery Installations team
- Responsible for the operation and deployment of all aspects of Factory International’s technical equipment with particular emphasis on Scenic & Gallery Installations, staging and show running.
- Responsible for the allocation and deployment of Core, (including FTC) and Casual staff on Events, Produced work and maintenance shifts within agreed budgets.
- Manage Core, (including FTC) team members hours in line with company policy.
- Organise the smooth running of the get ins and fit up, show runs, and get outs, planning appropriate staffing levels and equipment for the department, and ensuring that this is carried out in accordance with current Health & Safety legislation and Environmental Good Practice
- Lead discipline specific team members to oversee Staging, Scenic & Gallery Installations within the creation and delivery of artworks, concerts, shows and events. Oversee format changeovers within each of the venue spaces including stage installs/de-rigs and seating changes. With Production Managers coordinate Truck/Vehicle movements around the site. Train and supervise all the technical teams in the movement of the Truck Lift system.
- Liaise with visiting technical departments, ensuring their requirements are met, they are compliant with Factory International policies and there is maximum exploitation of the commercial contract. Develop and promote production related income streams.
- Cover the position of Technical Duty Manager on a rota basis and manage other technical departments in the absence of the relevant manager. On occasion, schedule team members to cover the position of technical stage manager and to support the other technical departments.
- In conjunction with other Technical Department Heads plan and deliver an effective programme of maintenance (inc Planned Preventative Maintenance), housekeeping, stock control and testing for all appliances and performance related equipment in the building
- In conjunction with the Head of Technical, Director of Production & Building Operations and HR Department, plan and carry out the recruitment, development and training of technical staff, ensuring the needs of the department are met
- Oversee and operate the departmental overhead and show budgets in line with company regulations and procedures
The person specification for the Head of Scenic and Gallery Installations are;
ESSENTIAL
- Extensive knowledge and proven experience of event staging, scenic handling and/or gallery installation in one or more art form (live music, theatre, performance art, etc), preferably in a producing environment
- Experience of managing a large department with demonstrable leadership and supervisory skills
- Ability to manage and communicate with staff effectively at all levels
- Ability to communicate effectively with external Clients
- Demonstrable experience of producing and managing budgets
- Ability to work well under pressure and to prioritise competing workload demands
- Experience of receiving large scale national and international touring productions
- IOSH Qualification
- Proven experience of scheduling and planning staff requirements
- Knowledge of technical drawing programs including Auto CAD or Vector Works
- Knowledge of the principles relating to the safe use of electricity, and an ability to apply this knowledge in practical situations typically required in an entertainment environment
- Comfortable working at height
- Experience of Health & Safety practice and procedures including Risk Assessments
- Commitment to championing representation and inclusion at every level of the organisation with a proven ability to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds
- Willing to get take relevant statutory checks eg DBS (Factory International can support with processing and payment)
DESIRABLE
- A practical knowledge of LOLER, PUWER and other relevant Health and Safety regulations working within a large receiving venue
- IPAF, MEWP, PASMA training
- Good understanding of statutory regulations governing venues such as the Working Time Directive, Health and Safety practices
- Working knowledge of technical stage management, Scenic Construction and Structural Engineering
- Experience of Co-production / collaboration with a variety of partners and stakeholders
- Understanding of working within the terms of the collective national union agreements
- Technical drawing skills
- Knowledge of CAD, MS Office, Artifax Event or similar resource management system
- Awareness of current trends in venue technology
- Experience of touring
- Full UK Drivers Licence
- Appropriate qualification in technical theatre from an accredited college, university, ABTT or industry relevant training courses
- Vocational qualification such as IRATA, PASMA, or CITB
- Understanding of employment issues
- Understanding of ABTT Technical Standards for Places of Entertainment
- Enthusiasm for training, mentoring and support of emerging talent
When applying please do not rely solely on ChatGPT/AI software for your answers as it may not fully reflect your skills and experience and how they align with this role and we may decide to discount your answer if we believe it is solely generated by AI.
Inventing tomorrow together. New art and music – at our venue Aviva Studios, online, across our city, around the world and at Manchester International Festival.
Factory International will commission, produce and present an ambitious year-round programme of original creative work, music and special events by leading artists from across the globe.
Drawing on MIF's track record for premiering bold productions that defy convention, artists will be encouraged to create work in new ways, to collaborate across disciplines and blur the boundaries between art and popular culture.
Built with flexibility in mind, the design of our venue Aviva Studios is led by Ellen van Loon of the world-leading practice Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). The 13,350 square-metre venue is based around large, open, ultra-flexible spaces that can be constantly reconfigured, enabling large-scale artistic work of invention and ambition that isn’t possible anywhere else in the world.
The organisation will continue to stage MIF every other year, at Factory International and other venues and spaces across Greater Manchester.
Building on the festival's record of working with communities, as audiences and as participants, Factory International will be a space where local people are actively involved – from participating in flagship commissions, co-designing programmes of activity, to shaping the organisation through involvement in its public forums. Through the Factory Academy, it will also become a major training centre for local people, equipping them with the skills needed for careers in the creative industries and helping to build the technicians, producers and other creative talent that will bring the future alive.
